- Is it permitted to sell an old Sefer Torah in order to buy a new one?
The Mishnah had stated that if one sold a Sefer Torah, one may not use the proceeds to buy sefarim. The question was asked, מהו למכור ספר תורה ישן ליקח בו חדש – What is the halachah in regard to selling an old Sefer Torah in order to buy a new one? Do we say that since one is not using the money to purchase something with more kedushah, it is forbidden, or do we say that since it is not possible to purchase something with more kedusha than a Sefer Torah, it is permitted? The Gemara attempts several answers, and in the third answer it brings a Baraisa that states: מניחין ספר תורה על גבי תורה – One may place a Sefer Torah on top of another Torah, and one may place a Torah on top of Chumashim, and Chumashim on top of Nevi’im and Kesuvim Since it is permitted to place one Sefer Torah on top of another, it must be permitted as well to sell one Sefer Torah for another one. The Gemara rejects this proof, explaining that this case is different since it may be permitted to do so because there was no other place to put the sefer Torah. The Gemara brings a proof that not having a place to put the Sefer Torah would permit putting it on top of another one, because if this was not permitted, how could one be permitted to roll up a sefer Torah, being that then one-page will rest upon another page? The Gemara leaves the question of selling an old Sefer Torah to buy a new one unresolved.
- Selling a public shul to an individual
The next Mishnah states:דברי רבי מאיר אין מוכרין את של רבים ליחיד מפני שמורידין אותו מקדושתו – Rebbe Meir says that the people in a town may not sell a public shul to an individual because they bring down its level of kedushah. The Chochomim said to him: אם כן אף מעיר גדולה לעיר קטנה – If so, then it should not be permitted to sell a shul from a large city to a small city. The Gemara asks what Rebbe Meir’s response would be to the Chochomim, and answers that he would say that transferring from a large city to a small city does not diminish its level of kedushah whereas מרבים ליחיד ליכא קדושה – transferring a shul from the public to an individual, results in no kedushah in the individual’s use of the shul. Rashi explains that in such a shul no דבר שבקדושה, such as kaddish or kedushah, can be recited there because it lacks a minyan. The Chochomim’s response to Rebbe Meir is that if one needs to be concerned about decreasing the level of kedushah through the transfer, then in the case of selling the shul from a large city to a smaller one there is need for concern משום "ברב עם הדרת מלך" – because of “With the multitude of the people is the glory of the King". Rashi explains that the Rabbis are not concerned about diminishing the level of the kedushah, because the proceeds from the sale will be used for something with greater kedushah.
- Why Rebbe Zakkai was zocheh to live long
The Gemara brings several responses the Rabbanim gave their talmidim when they were asked on which account were they zocheh to live long. Rebbe Zakkai answered, מימי לא השתנתי מים בתוך ד' אמות של תפלה – In all of my days, I never urinated within dalet amos of where I davened, ולא כניתי שם לחבירי – and I never called my friend by a nickname, ולא ביטלתי קידוש היום – and I never neglected to say Kiddush on Shabbos day over wine. He shared that one time he did not have enough money to buy wine and his elderly mother sold the veil she would wear on her head to buy the wine for kiddush. When she died, she left him a yerushah of three hundred barrels of wine, and when Rebbe Zakkai passed away, he left his children three thousand barrels of wine.
